1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toy top.
2. Description of Related Art
A toy top set has been known in the art that includes a toy top only for clockwise spin, a toy top only for anticlockwise spin and a spinning machine (launcher) with a launcher for spinning the toy tops in the clockwise and anticlockwise directions (e.g. see Japanese Utility Model No. 3071356).
In the toy top set, each of the toy top only for clockwise spin and the toy top only for anticlockwise spin is configured such that a body and a shaft unit are detachable from each other, and it is therefore possible to invert the clockwise or anticlockwise spinning direction by exchanging the respective bodies with each other.
When applying a spinning force to a toy top by using a launcher, it is required to hold the toy top so that it does not come off from the launcher.
To achieve this, in the prior art for example, an arc slit into which a fork of the launcher is inserted is formed in the body concentrically with the shaft axis, and a lock receiver to be locked by a hook (locking part) of the fork inserted in a slot is provided in an end in the longitudinal direction of the arc slit. In more detail, the width of the arc slit is narrowed only at one end in the longitudinal direction. To engage the locking part with the lock receiver, the hook of the fork is moved relative to the arc slit from the wide side to the narrow side and is slid under the edge (lock receiver) of the arc slit. The toy top is thus prevented from coming off from the launcher. After a spinning force is applied to the toy top by means of rotation of the fork of the launcher in this state, the rotation of the fork is stopped so that the hook of the fork is moved relative to the arc slit from the narrow side to the wide side by the internal force of the toy top. The engagement of the locking part with the lock receiver is thus unlocked, and the toy top is launched from the launcher.
However, when the width of the arc slit is narrowed only at one end in the longitudinal direction as described above, such configuration uniquely determines the spinning direction by the launcher. Therefore, there has been no option but to provide a toy top only for clockwise spin and a toy top only for anticlockwise spin.
As a result, in order to change the spinning direction of a toy top, it has been required to own both of a toy top only for clockwise spin and a toy top only for anticlockwise spin as in Japanese Utility Model No. 3071356 or to own a toy top and an additional body for a spinning direction different from that of the toy top.